Carrying Two Drivers

So with the Jimmy Walker short driver news, it got a buddy and I to talking. We both talked about how rarely we hit our 3w...it's usually driver on a hole that allows or if keeping it in play is a must, it's 712u 2 iron. 3W comes out maybe twice a round. Has anyone thought about replacing the 3w and carrying two drivers a la Phil?

For the wide open holes that calls for bombs away, you go with a longer shafted and maybe lower lofted driver. For those that demand some blend of distance and control, you can have your shorter shaft and maybe a little more lofted...almost like modern day 2 wood. For those that just need control, you hit 2-iron. Maybe in the control driver you even go with a shaft that's a touch too stiff as getting the most out of isn't the goal but maybe that would tighten the dispersion.

I remember Paddy carrying a driver, a weak driver/2-wood and a 3-wood a couple years ago!

http://www.golfwrx.com/284979/padraig-harrington-witb-2015/

Thoughts?

I went through the same rationale a few years ago. The only reason I changed was because I have issues sticking with a bag setup for more than a round or two.

Mickelson has done this, famously. It also used to be somewhat common when metal drivers first came out. Funny enough, when the pros would carry two drivers back then, the wooden one was the "long" one and the metal one was the "straight" one.

Three wood off the turf is a very, very difficult shot and really shouldn't be attempted very often, for the vast majority of us. So, what to do with the extra spot in the bag?

I love the idea of two drivers. For most people, I would suggest a "Long" driver and a "Straight" driver. The "Striaght" one would be "thriver" basically, so if you want to build it out of a three wood head, go ahead, but driver heads are larger and more forgiving, so why not use one? Now, for some people, myself included, I like the idea of having two drivers that go different directions. A draw and fade driver. That way, you can take advantage of your length and hit driver on holes with trouble down one side because you can take it out of play.

A word of caution about the two drivers. You need to be committed to the strategy and not do what I did, which is second guess yourself, allow in self-doubt, and then give up. You are going to have days where you hit them both bad, so be it.

But man, the days you are either "ok" or even better, "on," you will have a ton of wedges in, and hopefully a ton of birdie putts!

 

Three wood off the turf is a very, very difficult shot and really shouldn't be attempted very often, for the vast majority of us.

I don't carry a 3-wood, but I do carry a 4-wood and I'm better with that off the turf than off the tee. 240 & straight every time.

Great feedback. The interesting thing is that I don't have trouble with 3w from a solid contact perspective. It's just that I have very few shots that call for it. I carry it in the 240-250 range, so on par 5s that I have more than 275ish or there's trouble to be concerned with, I lay up and trust my wedges. Again off the tee, unless it's on a slightly more open hole but I have keep it short of something and can't hit driver, then I may use it, but it's really more driver or 2 iron.

I was thinking about this same thriver thing. I could go get a strong 3 wood of 13.5*, loft it down to 12 something and there you go, but why would I do that now that most companies have 11 or 12 degree drivers that as you said, are much more forgiving. I like the idea of there being a directional bias towards the two drivers as well with the fade driver likely being the control. You can talk to a fade but a hook won't listen.

I did this for a season or two on and off ..... and then found the Cally 3 deep. Better option for me, here's why

1. I can hit off the deck from perfect lies

2. It is crazy long off the tee

3. Easy to fade off the tee

4. Easy to hit low runners into the wind off the tee

My driver is my high draw club .... I love cutting corners off of doglegs with it

I did this for a season or two on and off ..... and then found the Cally 3 deep. Better option for me, here's why

 

1. I can hit off the deck from perfect lies

2. It is crazy long off the tee

3. Easy to fade off the tee

4. Easy to hit low runners into the wind off the tee

 

My driver is my high draw club .... I love cutting corners off of doglegs with it

The off the deck is one of the things holding me back. Even if I grab an 11 or 12 degree driver, given the larger head design, I don't think I could hit it off the deck if I need to...although that's rare for me. I'm actually the opposite. My driver ball flight after some swing changes and finding a driver a few degrees open is pretty straight, but my 3w is draw all day...sometimes to a fault.

If you like swing with a descending blow, get a 13 degree 3 wood. You won't give up much distance and you can hit it straighter, if you want, or hit fades and draws. There's no downside. Ask Stenson.

I really like the original PING Rapture 3 wood off the tee and good lies in the fairway. Mine's 14 degrees and 44". Cheap experiment these days.

I don't mean to sound rude but why? 3 wood is shorter and can be hit off deck or tee much more useful than a 2nd redundant driver

I did this for a season or two on and off ..... and then found the Cally 3 deep. Better option for me, here's why

 

1. I can hit off the deck from perfect lies

2. It is crazy long off the tee

3. Easy to fade off the tee

4. Easy to hit low runners into the wind off the tee

 

My driver is my high draw club .... I love cutting corners off of doglegs with it

I have a similar setup with a driver and 2Deep. I can hit the 2Deep dead straight most of the time, driver tends to be a high fade. For real control and on shorter holes I just use my 2 iron.

I went through the same rationale a few years ago. The only reason I changed was because I have issues sticking with a bag setup for more than a round or two.

 

Mickelson has done this, famously. It also used to be somewhat common when metal drivers first came out. Funny enough, when the pros would carry two drivers back then, the wooden one was the "long" one and the metal one was the "straight" one.

 

Three wood off the turf is a very, very difficult shot and really shouldn't be attempted very often, for the vast majority of us. So, what to do with the extra spot in the bag?

 

I love the idea of two drivers. For most people, I would suggest a "Long" driver and a "Straight" driver. The "Striaght" one would be "thriver" basically, so if you want to build it out of a three wood head, go ahead, but driver heads are larger and more forgiving, so why not use one? Now, for some people, myself included, I like the idea of having two drivers that go different directions. A draw and fade driver. That way, you can take advantage of your length and hit driver on holes with trouble down one side because you can take it out of play.

 

A word of caution about the two drivers. You need to be committed to the strategy and not do what I did, which is second guess yourself, allow in self-doubt, and then give up. You are going to have days where you hit them both bad, so be it.

 

But man, the days you are either "ok" or even better, "on," you will have a ton of wedges in, and hopefully a ton of birdie putts!

3 wood off the turf difficult? I'm not that great and find it fairly easy.

I love my 3w, it's my favorite club I the bag, 15m shorter than driver when tee'd up & very accurate, when I'm swing really well, I use it on most holes & leaving only the par 5's for my driver.

Currently I carry an M1 and a Big Bertha Mini 1.5

I did this for a season or two on and off ..... and then found the Cally 3 deep. Better option for me, here's why

 

1. I can hit off the deck from perfect lies

2. It is crazy long off the tee

3. Easy to fade off the tee

4. Easy to hit low runners into the wind off the tee

 

My driver is my high draw club .... I love cutting corners off of doglegs with it

This is a great post. Realistically, you are still carrying two "drivers." One that you can hit high and draw as well as one you can hit low and fade. The ability to hit one of them off the turf from a perfect lie (where hopefully there is very little trouble to navigate) is just lagniappe.

That is the main part of my premise about two "drivers." It's as much (more, really) a conceptual thing as it is a 460cc thing. Or a #1 wood thing. Or a 9° thing. It's about admitting to yourself that most of us need two dedicated "drivers" in the bag. We need to be able to hit long shots off the tee that fit into either the "Long v. Straight" category, or the "Draw v. Fade" category. Luckily, some folks like Chris, can sorta find both (he even got High v. Low outta the deal!) with just two clubs.

I want people to accept the fact that the 2nd longest club in your bag does NOT have to be hit off the turf. It can be a dedicated tee shot club and as such, it can be a 460° club. Check out Matt Dobyn's bag and take a look at his 2nd longest club. http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1366888-matt-dobyns-witb-2016-pga-championship/

I personally have a RBZ Stage 2 14.5° turned down to 12.5° as my 2nd "driver." Like Chris, it only comes out of the bag for shots off the turf where ALL conditions are perfect. Other than that, it is a driver. I currently find the shorter club and smaller clubhead easier to draw and my other driver generates a nice little cut, so together, they make a great set of tee shot clubs. But, I will gladly replace it with a more forgiving 460cc club if I can find one that I can consistently hit a draw with.

Let's all be open minded and honest about your bag setup. We lose more strokes with bad tee shots and bad long shots off the turf than probably any other place on the course. They are very, very difficult for most of us. Set the bag up in a way that protects against that, if you want.

I'm all for it.

Three wood off the turf is a very, very difficult shot and really shouldn't be attempted very often, for the vast majority of us. So, what to do with the extra spot in the bag?

 

3 wood off the turf difficult? I'm not that great and find it fairly easy.

That's why I said "for the vast majority of us." There are some who are quite competent with the 3 wood off the turf. My dad certainly is, and he is a 10 handicap. A member at my old club makes a living hitting his 3w off the turf and he's an 18 handicap. But my point stands, it is rare for most of us.

Congrats to you that you have a swing that allows you to hit comfortable and consistent 3w's off the deck. Never, ever get rid of that 3w, lol! For you, the 2 "driver" setup may, or may not be, optimal.

Well I have always struggled with fairway woods. Typically anything on the left side of the hold is going to have a tour trajectory middle hooked into it (majestic really).

I recently upgraded from my g15, and may cut it down and attempt to make a frankenwood type thing.

I did this for a season or two on and off ..... and then found the Cally 3 deep. Better option for me, here's why

 

1. I can hit off the deck from perfect lies

2. It is crazy long off the tee

3. Easy to fade off the tee

4. Easy to hit low runners into the wind off the tee

 

My driver is my high draw club .... I love cutting corners off of doglegs with it

 

The off the deck is one of the things holding me back. Even if I grab an 11 or 12 degree driver, given the larger head design, I don't think I could hit it off the deck if I need to...although that's rare for me. I'm actually the opposite. My driver ball flight after some swing changes and finding a driver a few degrees open is pretty straight, but my 3w is draw all day...sometimes to a fault.

That's good. You want driver and 3w to ideally complement each other

I did this for a season or two on and off ..... and then found the Cally 3 deep. Better option for me, here's why

 

1. I can hit off the deck from perfect lies

2. It is crazy long off the tee

3. Easy to fade off the tee

4. Easy to hit low runners into the wind off the tee

 

My driver is my high draw club .... I love cutting corners off of doglegs with it

 

This is a great post. Realistically, you are still carrying two "drivers." One that you can hit high and draw as well as one you can hit low and fade. The ability to hit one of them off the turf from a perfect lie (where hopefully there is very little trouble to navigate) is just lagniappe.

 

That is the main part of my premise about two "drivers." It's as much (more, really) a conceptual thing as it is a 460cc thing. Or a #1 wood thing. Or a 9° thing. It's about admitting to yourself that most of us need two dedicated "drivers" in the bag. We need to be able to hit long shots off the tee that fit into either the "Long v. Straight" category, or the "Draw v. Fade" category. Luckily, some folks like Chris, can sorta find both (he even got High v. Low outta the deal!) with just two clubs.

 

I want people to accept the fact that the 2nd longest club in your bag does NOT have to be hit off the turf. It can be a dedicated tee shot club and as such, it can be a 460° club. Check out Matt Dobyn's bag and take a look at his 2nd longest club. http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1366888-matt-dobyns-witb-2016-pga-championship/

 

I personally have a RBZ Stage 2 14.5° turned down to 12.5° as my 2nd "driver." Like Chris, it only comes out of the bag for shots off the turf where ALL conditions are perfect. Other than that, it is a driver. I currently find the shorter club and smaller clubhead easier to draw and my other driver generates a nice little cut, so together, they make a great set of tee shot clubs. But, I will gladly replace it with a more forgiving 460cc club if I can find one that I can consistently hit a draw with.

 

Let's all be open minded and honest about your bag setup. We lose more strokes with bad tee shots and bad long shots off the turf than probably any other place on the course. They are very, very difficult for most of us. Set the bag up in a way that protects against that, if you want.

 

I'm all for it.

I had to look up lagniappe - and I have what I feel is a strong vocabulary.

Correct on the 3 deep. I would never use it to go for a par 5 in 2 over a lake for instance.

I'm only a 110 max driver guy and I did a post two falls ago where I actually got the 3 deep inside 15 feet from 274 out. That is (or it was) absurd. But I know once in a while I can pull off the unicorn shot, I shot I could never hit with a driver off the deck. (Driver off the deck for me is high impossible - or pernicious as Ben Wright used to say - as I am one of those guys that tees it up 3" and is +6* AoA into the ball with the 1W)

i gotta believe a 2 or 3 deep would be a real weapon for guys swinging 115+ that are higher spin players

My one driver is my control driver lol.

What's funny is that out of me and 2 guys I play with, I'm by far the tallest and my drivers club length is also by far the shortest of the three.

Ditto the posters with mini's above; I carry a M1 430, an AeroBurner Mini & a Ping Crossover DI (sorry Ping, it's a driving iron). I've got the tee box covered.

I use a normal 10.5 degree driver and also carry a 12 degree mini driver. I use the mini driver as a long 3 wood but to be honest there is really only 10/15 yard max in the two with distance.

I could easily get away with carrying just the mini driver.

I occasionally switch out a wedge for a 2nd driver with less loft and a fade bias to match my TW Speed that has slightly more loft and I can easily draw. I love doing it.

I also bring two drivers to golf course, and I do this for fun or testing enjoyment. The 2nd driver is the 14th clubs in my bag.

I did this for a season or two on and off ..... and then found the Cally 3 deep. Better option for me, here's why

 

1. I can hit off the deck from perfect lies

2. It is crazy long off the tee

3. Easy to fade off the tee

4. Easy to hit low runners into the wind off the tee

 

My driver is my high draw club .... I love cutting corners off of doglegs with it

I agree with absolutely everything here. I've got the same club and can hit it off the deck, stupid long off the tee, and work it both ways. There are a number of guys on tour that still bag this club with a different head cover on top of it. I'll have to try the new Epic 3 wood, but I don't think it'll be any longer than this club.

But I do agree that a 3-wood is a waste of time for anyone who can't hit it off the deck or those who choose not to. There are better options off the tee than a 3 wood for sure (probably a higher lofted driver) and better options from the fairway. The 4-5 wood or 2-4 hyrbid are excellent options off the tee and with the adjustability of most of these clubs nowadays, you can just buy one and adjust the loft to your liking.

If you don't drive the ball very far but you are accurate with your driver >>>>> concentrate on what is going to help you the most on long approach shots

If you're a bomber but you spray it >>>>> 3HL or 4 wood may be a good option here as you'll rarely have a shot that requires a full 3-wood into a green unless you are playing a long course

If you simply can't hit your driver with any consistency>>>>> maybe the driver is the club you should ditch. Try a lower lofted 3 wood off the tee and you can add a 4-wood or hybrid as back up

The 4-5 wood or 2-4 hyrbid are excellent options off the tee...

I'll have to disagree here. Those clubs generally have shallow faces and tend to launch the ball sky high. A DI like the Crossover is a much better option from the tee box.

The 4-5 wood or 2-4 hyrbid are excellent options off the tee...

 

I'll have to disagree here. Those clubs generally have shallow faces and tend to launch the ball sky high. A DI like the Crossover is a much better option from the tee box.

There are many hybrids and fairway woods that have deeper faces.

Just put a Wishon 919 THI driver in the bag with my G30 as an experiment. It's 42 1/4" long with a 75g shaft and a swing weight of D5. Shorter then my G30 at 45" but it's so consistent and straight. It just might be the new driver.

I did this for a season or two on and off ..... and then found the Cally 3 deep. Better option for me, here's why

 

1. I can hit off the deck from perfect lies

2. It is crazy long off the tee

3. Easy to fade off the tee

4. Easy to hit low runners into the wind off the tee

 

My driver is my high draw club .... I love cutting corners off of doglegs with it

Exactly this, well minus the high draw driver part :wave: 3 deep has been a game changer for me both off the tee and off the deck provided the lie is acceptable. I have hit more par 5's in two with the 3 deep than any other 3 wood I have owned. Off the tee it is just as long or longer than driver if I hit a stinger into the wind. If the ground is firm it is better to hit 3 deep off the tee than driver when playing into the wind. On good vs good swings 3 deep is about 15 yards short of driver in total distance and about 20-25 short on carry and does not get too far off line

With fairway woods and "mini driver 2 wood" heads having face designs that are as hot as a driver, I think for most players it makes more sense to try to get fit into these for whatever distance makes sense.

In other words, why carry a second driver head, when you can get the same distance with a smaller head and face height that could be used off the deck if needed.

The other consideration, is some players won't get nearly as "strong" a ball flight out of a higher loft driver vs what they produce with a strong fairway. Something to consider with wind being a factor

Its a good idea, for sure. There is one course here where i do that, and I swap my 3 wood out for a 13* Nike SQ driver. If you want a cheap way to try this strategy, go to the bay for one of the SQ lucky thirteen or sweet sixteen drivers. The shafts are nice Mitsubishi Rayons and the clubs are solid and can be had cheap.

Hitting that 13* allows me to set my driver down to 9.5*. I used to play an 11* driver. So it not only gives you more options, it actually can give you more distance (because your "long" driver can go lower if you have a second one).

Ive gotten better so I'm confident with my Ping 3 wood off the tee and lefft the SQ behind, but i still use it on one course. I ran two drivers for a while before I got comfortable with 3w and it is a huge advantage in the right circumstances (i.e. a course where you arn't 230 out four times a round into attackable par 5s).

Agree with others who say remove both and use a Mini driver or driver and mini driver in place of 3w.

Best thing I ever did was remove my driver and replace it with the mini.

I am now in the process of trying it on a shorter shaft and replace my 3w with it and have it as both Driver and 3w in one.